The Rescue
by Anifan1
Summary: A simple plan results in a million unforeseen consequences.
1. Chapter 1

**The Rescue**

**Jake**

It was late at night on Thursday and we had just come back from a mission. My parents were eating dinner out with their friends who were in town, and Tom was at a Sharing Meeting. We had made another attack on the Yeerk Pool, and we had won. That is, if winning means barely escaping alive and killing about ten Controllers. Rachel sure thought so, her exact words being, "Yeah! We rocked! We kicked Yeerk butt!"

Sometimes, although I'd never tell her, I worry about Rachel's sanity. Has the war caused her to become this insane? That's what Marco calls her love of war. But I don't know if she was always this way and the war just lit up her spark of violence, or if she was just transformed.

I do know that sometimes we need someone who's bloodthirsty with us, someone who will try to hurt the Yeerks at all costs. I just hope that eventually the war will end, and she can get therapy, along with all of the freed Controllers. Especially Tom.

Tom...my thoughts drifted towards him again as I walked inside. I keep telling myself that if I try hard enough, if I fight long enough, I'll be able to free my brother. Tom can never be killed in battle, I argued with myself. Someday, I'll be able to rescue him.

If he had been there tonight, would I have been able to rescue him?

Sometimes, it all seemed so pointless. Saving the world was great, but what about saving your family?

I wish that I could save him without him being killed. But that's the major problem. The Yeerks know everything about him. If we somehow saved Tom, it would just be a matter of time before he was recaptured, or killed, unless he lived with the Hork-Bajir.

Now _that_ was a possibility.

With that small hope on my mind, I fell asleep.

My dreams usually involve the missions that I went on, or the all-too-familiar dream of stalking Tom in a tiger morph. It was rare that I was able to sleep dreamlessly. I would have settled for the normal nightmares. Forgetting to attend class all semester, but still having to take the final exam. Standing in front of everyone in boxers.

I knew that this wasn't exactly healthy, nor was it safe. Just last week, Tom came into my room to check that I was okay. He said I had been screaming in my sleep about something. I didn't even remember what it was, so I just made up some stuff about getting hit by a car.

I'm sure he didn't believe me.

This dream was almost pleasant compared to the others. No Yeerks, no one stuck in morph. I was in a room. There was nothing there, no doors, no windows, not even a chair or a desk. I was just _there_. The room was white, and I guess it was kind of small. I was terrified. I wasn't sure if I should start screaming, or what good it would do if I did.

A flash of light appeared. I knew that it was the Ellimist.

He laughed. VERY GOOD, JAKE. AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, YOU ARE A PRIMITIVE RACE, AND YET YOU ARE CAPABLE OF LEARNING.

_Of learning what?_ I asked.

EVERYTHING CHANGES THE FUTURE, JAKE. NO MATTER HOW SMALL.

_What do you want me to do?_ I sighed.

MORPHING WILL WIN MANY BATTLES. REMEMBER JAKE, EVEN ENEMIES CAN BECOME ALLIES.

And then the Ellimist was gone.

My alarm choose that minute to go off. As I pressed the "Snooze" button, I wondered if I should ignore what the Ellimist said. Whatever he meant by it.

I found that I could not ignore the dream. I kept thinking about it as I got ready for school. What did the Ellimist mean?

The last part was the most mysterious, but it seemed like it would also be the most helpful. Morphing wins battles. Enemies can become allies.

Well, we all knew about the Peace Movement, and the Hork-Bajir. How appearances could be deceiving and all of that.

My thoughts, unwillingly, turned towards Tom. His Yeerk was evil, no doubt about it. But he would never seem that way to anyone except the Yeerks. And the people his Yeerk killed.

Suddenly, I knew what to do.

"And to think, all of this time and I didn't see it!" I shouted with glee.

Tom chose that minute to walk in the room.

"What on Earth are you talking about?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He looked...scared? "Are you feeling ok, midget?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. I just figured out how to solve some math problems from the homework. We have to know them for the test in a few days," I rambled.

_Oh, real believable, Jake. _

By now, I was sweating. I half expected Tom to drag me out of bed and stun me with a dracon beam (where he would be hiding it was beyond me; I was just panicking). I would then wake up at the Yeerk pool, infested with either Tom's old Yeerk, or another Yeerk who was just as power hungry.

This couldn't happen now! Not when the plan was forming in my mind even as I panicked. I just needed the others to cooperate...

Tom just gave me a weird look, muttered, "Geek," and left the room.

When we met up at Cassie's barn to discuss how the mission went, I told everyone about my plan. It was relatively simple. I would acquire Illim and I would go to the Yeerk Pool through Mr. Tidwell, exactly as Cassie had done before. Then I would go to the pool and keep a mental note of how many people needed to be reinfested. When it was Tom's turn to be reinfested, I would push the Yeerk out of the way and go in instead. Then, we would head to the Hork-Bajir valley and he would spend the rest of his time there, until we won the war.

I waited for their reaction.

"It could work. But it's insane," said Marco.

"And if it doesn't?" chimed in Rachel. "Or what if the Yeerks find him? Remember, the current Yeerk knows everything about him."

She was right, of course. It was beyond risky, beyond insane. The chances of success were slim. Not to mention, it was possible that even after Tom got saved, the Yeerks would suspect something. But I couldn't think about that now, even though I knew that I was the leader and this was my job.

"No more so than any of our plans. Besides, I have a feeling that the Ellimist wants me to do this." I briefly explained about the dream. "Cassie, what do you think?"

"I don't know, Jake. If it works, and that's a big if, it won't really hurt the Yeerks. Besides, it would be more of a personal mission than anything else."

_What if you became infested?_ Tobias added, fixing his eyes on me from the perch.

"It happened before. We can handle that if it comes up," I made myself sound neutral; in reality the thought of having to go through all of that again was enough to make me reconsider. "It's always been a risk and a possibility. For all of us."

"Yeah, but you're rushing into something that, ultimately, won't exactly help the group much," Rachel pointed out.

I glared at him. "We'd do the same thing if it was anyone of us. Besides, I don't need your help. This is my mission. I just wanted to let you know in case something went wrong."

"Don't you think that's a little unfair, Jake?" Cassie countered.

"I live with a Controller!" I exploded. "It's going to leak at some point or another. The nightmares have been making Tom's Yeerk suspicious. If he guesses, then we're all doomed."

_You have a point, there, _Tobias admitted_. But if we hold any suspicions, we'll have to keep you tied up for three days. Tom, too. _

I nodded. "I'll take Tom to the Hork-Bajir valley first, though."

Rachel shook her head. "What if you're both infested? We'd have no way of knowing."

"Even if it was a Yeerk playing me and taking my brother –infested—to the valley, before long you guys would find out. The Hork-Bajir wouldn't let him escape to go to the Yeerk pool. With no weapons, no morphing ability, he's not a threat to them. And then you guys would know that something suspicious was up."

That seemed to settle everything.

I spoke to Illim later that day. I explained the plan, and he reluctantly agreed. We decided to do the mission tomorrow.

_Let's go_, I thoughtspoke from the bag of lukewarm water, fully morphed.

I kind of felt Illim move the body to the car and drive for a few minutes. Soon, maybe too soon, we arrived at the Yeerk Pool. I distantly heard the screams from the cages, and even a little laughter from the voluntary hosts. I felt myself get lifted into the pool, along with Illim.

_He's fourth in line to be reinfested_, Illim told me as I echolocated to find the reinfestation pier. _I would say that you have less than three minutes. Good luck_.

_Thanks_, I replied.

I wasn't exactly looking forward to infesting Tom, even if it was the only way to get him out of the pool unnoticed. There was just too much of an invasion of privacy, too many memories that I would have to deal with.

I would never intentionally open his memory without gaining his permission. But it wouldn't be that simple. Cassie had once confided to me that memories are everywhere. She hadn't been able to avoid them, and she was the best morpher of all of us.

Granted, I wasn't entirely sure if controlling instincts went in line with controlling what parts of the human mind you saw, but it seemed to go hand in hand.

I waited for what seemed like hours, projecting sonar every few seconds until I heard someone tell Innis 226 that his host was ready. I recognized that name as Tom's Yeerk.  
I shoved him out of the way, wanting to demorph then and there so I could squash him into a messy pulp. I couldn't, though. It was too risky.

Besides, Tom should have dibs on killing the Yeerk.

I mentally prepared myself as best as I could, and head into my brother's ear.

I squirted some painkiller as I crawled in. I heard and felt him fighting, trying to move away from me. It made me sick to my stomach. For a minute, I considered using thoughtspeak as a way to calm him down, but decided that would be too risky. I would have to wait until I connected with his brain before I could speak with him. I would tell him everything once we were out of this hell.

I was inches from his brain now, still hearing his cries and threats. I felt nauseated. The only thing that helped was that I knew that Tom hadn't given up. I didn't know if my plan would have been possible if he had. I forced myself to continue with the connection.

At last, I was in. I felt his anger and fear, but worst of all was his resignation. He only made a few protests once I had control. A wave of sadness washed over me, causing my host...I mean, Tom...to become confused.

_It's okay_, I tried to tell him. _You're safe, now_.

I could tell that Tom hadn't heard my message. I tried again, this time thinking directly at Tom, and using private thought-speech.

_Don't worry. You're safe, now. Everything will be okay_, I said in what I hoped was a calming tone.

I could feel his doubts, but then he realized; _You're not Innis!_

_I'm not_, I agreed. I focused his eyes on the Yeerk pool, and saw Tom's ex-Yeerk trying to get back in line. As discreetly as I could manage, I grabbed it and put it in one of his pockets.

_You're not going to put that in me, too, are you?_ Tom questioned, his voice trembling. Fearful.

_If more than one Yeerk could inhabit a human's brain, the Visser would have long since made use of that,_ I replied. _In any event, that was not my intention._

He wasn't reassured. _Then what are you going to do with me?_

Without meaning to, I read his thoughts; _Control me, of course. Torture me. Break me until I'm even more beaten than I am right now._

_I am not supposed to be in you, as you have already guessed. For this reason and others, your old Yeerk must die. Would you like to kill it, or should I? _

I felt a little sick about what I was going to do. War or not, evil or not this Yeerk was, he had to die.

_I'll do it. _

I used the Yeerk instincts and found out how to give the host control. The _host_? Oh great, now I was starting to think like a Yeerk too. _Get a grip, Jake_. I told myself. I took a deep breath.

I started to give Tom control of the hand in his jeans pocket, but stopped. I couldn't do it, not yet. It was just too risky. Too many witnesses.

He gave me a mental glare at this, but I tried to reason with him.

_People will suspect something. I will let you kill the Yeerk later. As it is, I've been hovering over the pool for awhile. _So, I took control of his hand again and raised his body from its bowed position, we will have to wait a few moments to do this.

_Liar_, Tom spat.

_Tom, please just trust me on this. _

A small part of Tom's mind was telling him to trust me. That I wasn't calling him "human" or "slave", but rather by his name. None of the other Yeerks had ever done that.

But, the other part of Tom was saying that it could still be a trap.

He didn't know who to believe.

Before he could form a reply, and it probably would have hurt me to hear it, a Hork-Bajir guard spoke. "You have control, Innis 226?"

"He is fighting more than usual," I replied, in Tom's voice. It frightened me more than him; he was used to it. "I am in control now."

I walked past the Gleet Biofilters, barely acknowledging the Hork-Bajir guards as I moved past them. Perfectly in character for Tom's Yeerk.Once we were in the car, I turned to Tom. _Where did he keep the tissues?_

_Side compartment. Why_

_You'll see. _

I reached into it and found a box of Kleenex. I tore off a few sheets and placed the struggling Yeerk inside them, holding him around my...I mean Tom's...hands.

_Okay. I am giving you control now so that you may kill your tormenter. Do not do or say anything that you will regret later or else you will be very sorry. _

I winced. I had spoken more harshly than I had intended.

_Okay_, he replied, less shaken than I was.

He was used to threats and torture.

I let go, and, with shaking fingers, he squashed the Yeerk between his hand. Blood dropped into the Kleenex. He grabbed a few more sheets, wiped off the rest of the blood, and put the somewhat massive ball of tissue back into his pocket. Very reluctantly, I took back control of his arms.

He didn't protest.

_You'll want to get rid of those pants. They're contaminated by Yeerk scum_, I advised.

He shrugged. _Small price to pay._

I started the car and took several deep breaths. It had no calming effect on me whatsoever.

_You will have to explain everything, soon_, came Tom's voice, now from a corner of his mind.

_I will_, I reassured him. _Right now, you just need to stay calm. Relax._

_You're not exactly helping things_. He was implying that, just as there were Yeerk techniques of mental torture, there were also Yeerk techniques of calming a host's mind.

And if I was on his side, (or, at least, not his enemy) then why wasn't I using these methods?

Unfortunately, they were the kind of thing that a Yeerk learned through others, and even Tom had no experience with them. There was very little I could do or say to help him, except to say that I did not know how to perform these.

A less scrupulous Yeerk would have searched Tom's memory until they found a pleasant memory, and replay it for a period of time.

This, needless to say, was not an option I considered.

_Who _are_ you_? he asked. _You let me kill the other Yeerk, but you infested me_.

_I could not let you out of the pool area without infesting you, _I pointed out_. In any event, I will not be in your head for much longer. _

_Sure. Three days, and then another one comes along,_ he nearly snorted.

_Less than that, and there will not be another one. That is, if you cooperate. _

I drove in silence for several minutes. During that time, I felt something nagging at Tom's head, but tried to ignore it. It was not my place to read his thoughts.

_Could you let me drive? After the next red light?_ he finally asked, very meekly.

I agreed. _You haven't driven in awhile, so, if need be, I will take control to avert any accidents. _

He seemed almost relieved by that proposition.

A few minutes later, he was in control and I was curled up in a corner of his mind. I realized that I liked this a lot more. So did he.

_You're doing well_, I complimented as he stopped in time for a red light. _Given that it's been nearly two years since... _

Thanks. By Tom's curt response, he clearly did not want to talk about it.

He drove the rest of the way in silence.

When we got home, he parked the car in the garage, and opened the door.

_Where to?_ he asked me.

_Your choice. _

He walked up to his room, pulled down the shades, but left the door wide open. He sat on his bed, leaning against the wall.

I took control of his eyes for a second, only to glance at the clock, as I noted that I still had over an hour left in morph. It might take me that long to convince him. I half expected Tom to make a comment about me having taken control of his eyes for that short period of time, but he barely seemed to notice.

_So_, he finally demanded, crossing his arms. _Would you please tell me what's going on?_

_I will. However, if I let you keep control, will you promise not to do anything... dangerous? _

"Stupid" had been my first word choice, but I knew it was far from appropriate.

_Fine_, he grumbled.

I began to explain. _I am not actually a Yeerk. I am one of the so-called "Andalite Bandits." In reality, though, I am not an Andalite at all. I am human, like yourself. _

_Some humans have the power to morph_? He was incredulous; Tom was far from trusting me.

I realized that I would need to demorph. It was just too complicated as it was right now. Plus, I hated being a Yeerk. I knew that they weren't naturally evil or anything, but the idea of being a slug inside of my brother's mind, having access to all of his thoughts, repelled me.

But how could I know that Tom wouldn't kill me?

I spoke quickly. _Tom, I am going to leave your head and demorph. Please do not hurt me. I'll explain everything then. If you kill me, most likely another Yeerk will replace me. Just trust me. If you won't do that, or can't, at least, wait until I'm human before you decide what to do with me. _

I was saying things I shouldn't. I was exposing myself more than I should have. All of my instincts were warning against this, and blamed me for being so foolish. What I should do, they told me, was take Tom to the valley, make sure some Hork-Bajir would keep him from harming me, and then demorph.

By then, though, it could be too late.

Tom signed. "Well, I don't exactly have much of a choice, do I?" he muttered out loud.

Even despite this dangerous situation, I still noted and relished the happiness Tom felt at being able to speak on his own.

_No, you don't_, I replied, sadly_. Just promise that you'll put me on the floor when I fall out. _Then, without so much as hesitating, _I plunged ahead. I will know if you are lying._

_Agreed_, he responded, but I couldn't help but notice his desire to squash me as he had done with Innis earlier.

I disconnected from his brain, letting myself experience site until the last possible moment. I crawled out of Tom's ear, blind and utterly helpless, and felt a hand catch me. The hand paused, and then another one joined it, cupping over me. For a moment, I thought he would surely squash me.

Panic rising, I screamed with terror. _Tom, don't! I haven't hurt you, I will not harm you! Don't kill me! _

The hands did not spread apart, but they did not come closer to my skin. I felt myself being lowered me to what felt like the ground, and then released me. Was he going to step on me?

I knew I was shaking. _Don't kill me!_ I begged again.

He must have stepped back, because I heard a thus on the bed.

_Thank you, Tom_, I whispered, knowing that he could hear me. I concentrated on my human form and waited for the changes to begin. Thank you.

My eyes appeared first. Then, I grew to my regular height. I could see Tom's disgust at seeing a five-foot, ten-inch slug with eyes.

I tried to use thoughtspeech to reassure him. _It's always gross_, I stated, as my hair began to form in clumps.

He just nodded and then turned away from me. I didn't blame him.

The rest of the changes came relatively slowly. Morphing takes several minutes, and despite my trying to concentrate, there were many concerns that got in its place. Maybe that slowed down the morph. I don't know.

Finally, I was human again. I was human and alive. More importantly, Tom was free.

Although I don't have Cassie's ability to control morphs, I tried to hold onto my thoughtspeech until the end. It must have worked, because even though I knew that my mouth worked, when I said, _Tom, you can turn around_, it came out through my thoughts, not my mouth.

It just seemed like the best way to go about things. As soon as I spoke, I completed the morph. I was just about finished when Tom turned around.

"M-midget?" he squeaked, eyes widening.

"It's me," I confirmed. Then, I joked, "Glad you let me live?"

He put an arm around my shoulders. It must have been the first time in nearly two year. If not longer.

"Yeah...but what happened? How did you get the morphing power? How did you save me? Have you known the whole time?" he asked, trying to be gentle and yet, at the same time, very aware of how important these questions were.

I took a seat next to Tom on the bed and just stared at the pale blue comforter. It was hard to speak, let alone launch into a long explanation.

I just reached out my arms and hugged him. Almost instantly, he hugged me back, holding me close. I didn't want to explain anything just then; I just wanted to be near my brother and near his comfort. I closed my eyes; Tom hugged me even tighter.

I don't know how long we stayed like that. Probably only a few minutes, but it felt like much longer. I became aware of one of his hands rubbing my back, slowly and gently. He was talking, too, softly murmuring phrases like, "It's okay" or "Shh."

I made myself remember that I still had part of a mission to complete. My arms dropped to my sides, and, after a moment, so did Tom's. We were sitting directly across from each other, so close that our knees were touching. I took a deep breath and began.

"I knew you were a Controller since practically the beginning, but I didn't know what I could actually do about it until I had that dream last night."

Tom nodded. "I remember."

I continued. "Elfangor gave me and my friends the power to morph before he died, and told us about the Yeerks. We've been fighting them ever since. I guess it's partly thanks to your first Yeerk that we found out The Sharing's role in the invasion. And you—if you hadn't rebelled then, I might given more thought towards joining. As you might have guessed, I acquired a Yeerk by way of the Peace Movement...have you ever heard of that?"

"Only vaguely. Just that there are some Yeerks who don't want to infest involuntary hosts. The Visser was going to put one on trial a few months ago, but there was an attack and she escaped. He said that he was glad...that she would die a painful death of kandrona starvation. But that he wanted to have been able to torture her before she died, and find out more information."

I shook my head wearily. "She's not dead. We gave her the power to morph, and she became a whale. She's somewhere in the ocean, now."

"Cool."

"Anyway," I plunged ahead, "one of the Yeerks in the Peace Movement let me acquire him, and let me loose in the pool the next time you fed. He told me where you were in the line, and I pushed your Yeerk aside. You killed him later. I'm sorry I was a jerk- I just didn't know what you would do," I apologized.

"Jake, I don't blame you," Tom reassured me. "Question is, where do we go from here? The Yeerk might be dead, but they'll be expecting him –and consequently me—to report to duty tomorrow, assuming I'm not needed tonight."

I nodded, glad to be of some use there. "I figured out that part already. There's a valley with free Hork-Bajir. A whole colony of them. You can live there. It's impossible for them to find you—it's hard enough to get there when you even know the way. One of us will bring you food and stuff every week. And I'll visit whenever I can."

"You sure the Hork-Bajir won't kill me? I've seen them before, and so have you. You've fought them," Tom reminded me.

I shook my head. "Without the Yeerks, Hork-Bajir are very peaceful. They only use their blades in order to eat tree bark. Not exactly the most intelligent beings around, except for Toby who's a Seer—that means she's basically equal to a human in intelligence—but they're kind. Besides, it won't be forever, just until we win."

"Well, there's no other choice, is there?"

"Just the Peace Movement, and since you haven't been assigned to one of them by the Yeerk empire, it makes things more risky than your staying here would."

"Okay. I'll pack some things."

"Be sure to write a note to Mom and Dad saying you've run away or something. It will kill them, but they should see you again sometime soon."

"I will."

"One other thing...we should probably give you the morphing power," I added, speaking as the thought entered my head.

"Wouldn't that be dangerous if I got caught?" Tom cautioned, putting an arm around my shoulder.

"If you get caught, they pretty much know everything already. If not right now, they will soon. So, your being morph capable will just be a means of defense, or a way of fleeing, if they come. Just one thing—never morph an ant."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I'll go get food and stuff for the next few days. See you in about fifteen minutes?"

Tom nodded. "Oh, and Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

A half an hour later, I was back inside Tom, now morphed as me. (We had practiced before with minimal clothing, and he seemed to have gotten the hang of it.) I was in charge, since I knew the way to go.

This time, though, it was a lot easier for both of us.

Mainly, as I made the journey, we talked. I tried to catch him up on what had happened during the last couple of years, leaving out some of the more gruesome adventures, my brief infestation, and my feelings for Cassie.

He knew the last one right away. At first, I was surprised, but understood when he explained it.

_It's your emotions, _he snickered_. You can't hide those, not unless you're really skilled in that as a Yeerk. Which, no offense, you're not. It's also some of the words you use to describe her. Like "my friend Cassie." Marco's just Marco, and Rachel isn't "my cousin, Rachel." Plus, you seem to care about her opinion just slightly more than the others. _

I gave him a mental glare. He laughed.

_Midget, don't be like that. It's sweet. Who knows, maybe you two will end up married. _

_We're a little young to be thinking of that_, I reminded him.

_We're here_, I spoke.

I had cut the timing too close this time. Fortunately, I didn't think I had gone beyond the two hour limit. Although, I guess if I had I could have stayed in Tom and posed as his old Yeerk. That seemed too risky, though. Not to mention a major violation of his mind.

_You better demorph, too. _

I crawled out of his head and felt him catch me in his hand. I felt him lower me to the grass, more gently this time.

The changes began, and, before long, I was looking at my own human body. Tom was in his regular body once more.

I approached some of the Hork-Bajir with Tom. "We need to talk to Toby," I told them.

"Toby will come," one of them promised me, and walked off.

Moments later, he returned with the Seer. I explained what happened as briefly as possible.

Toby frowned. "How do I know you two are not Controllers?"

I thought quickly. "I'll morph Yeerk and you'll see with Tom. Two Yeerks can't inhabit the same brain."

"And you?" Toby pursued.

"You'll just need to trust me."

Toby considered. "When you're in him, he will not be able to speak. But when you leave him, he will be able to say if it was really you or not. Unless he does not know."

"It's not me you're trusting, though. It's Tom. Besides, why would a Yeerk bring a free human being here?"

She nodded at that. "You have a good point. All right. Morph."

Once again, I morphed Yeerk. Tom dutifully put me up to his ear. I crawled in and took over within minutes.

"It's Jake. I'm in a Yeerk morph, and in Tom's head. I have control."

I saw Toby nod. "Leave him and demorph," she told me.

Once I had done so, she spoke again. "We will keep Tom, but keep a close watch over him. He cannot leave the camp on his own. We do not want another Yeerk in his head."

"Agreed."

"Toby?" Tom spoke up. "Can Jake and I speak privately before he leaves?"

She nodded. "We will be watching you, but not listening," she told us, and left.

I turned to Tom. "Guess this is goodbye for now."

"You'll visit, right?"

"Soon. And as often as I can," I promised. "At least once a week."

"Jake..." He seemed unsure of what to say. Finally, he asked, "Can you go Yeerk again?"

I raised my eyebrows, but did as he asked. He put me to his head, and I climbed in.

_What's wrong?_ I asked as soon as I had connected.

I didn't need to, though. Within seconds, I saw what was wrong. Tom hoped that I would go Yeerk, at least some of the time, during my visits. He was so used to being controlled, to having that voice inside of his head, that not having a familiar voice to guide him was almost as bad as being an involuntary Controller.

That was in spite of having bad experiences with cruel Yeerks. I wondered what it was like for members of the Peace Movement, people who were genuinely friends (or at least, on good terms) with their Yeerks.

I wondered if Aftran should have stayed in Karen after all. Had her host gone through something like this?

I felt guilty, then. Sick. Wondering if we were on the right side after all. A part of me thought that we should all join the Yee—join the Peace Movement. This, however, seemed impossible. Still... I should have asked the Peace Movement...

Then there would have been more trouble. Not to mention worrying about Kandrona.

_When the war's over, if we win, if you still feel this way, I'll do whatever it takes to help you, _I promised_. In the meantime... _

_Yes? _

_I'll go Yeerk sometimes. But don't get angry if I accidentally access some of your more private memories. Or if I forget and take control. _

_Those things don't really bother me much now. Not when it's all been done before...and not by accident. _

I closed his eyes._ Things just became a lot more complicated, Tom. _

_That's why you guys have to win. _


	2. Chapter 2

The next few days were pretty uneventful, aside from my parents' reaction at finding Tom's letter. Basically, it just said that he was sick of them and was leaving. Naturally, they were really upset about it, but there was nothing they could do.

Tom's friends were mostly Controllers, and had no idea what had happened to him.

My parents did call the police, but the police were far from helpful. Their response was essentially, "This is your problem if your kid ran away." Especially since there were no leads, no possibilities as to where he could have gone.

I visited Tom whenever I could, usually by myself, but sometimes with one of the other Animorphs. I brought him food, mostly, but also books and some games that he used to like. We thought that, maybe, he could teach them to Toby, who in turn could teach them to the other Hork-Bajir. Most of the rules were pretty simple.

I always went Yeerk at some point during the visit, usually when Tom wanted to talk about something in private. The Hork-Bajir were convinced that we were not Controllers, but they still kept a close eye on us. I guess Tom just felt most comfortable keeping things head to head. I didn't mind, and given what he had gone through (for I was beginning to see hints of this simply by absorbing his thoughts), I felt it was a small thing to ask.

Even so, I was beginning to worry. I wouldn't go through Tom's memories, and had no idea how to even begin to approach some of the things he had gone through with Innis and Temrash. Often, flashes would come back, usually unexpected. Tom would cower in his mind, and I would try to distract him, but to no avail. They always came, and always weakened him. They may have been only memories, but these memories came from real, horrific events.

_You need a Yeerk_, I told him once, after a particularly horrible memory attack, as Tom called them. _Someone who can help you deal with this. Someone with experience in this area. Our best hope is the Peace Movement, but at this point, it is just too risky. I can be there in the meantime, but… _

_I know, Jake._ He sighed. We had had this conversation before. _I just hope this war doesn't go on for much longer. _

A few of Tom's friends (Controllers, I assume) were starting to get worried after a week of his not showing up. One of them even asked me—cornering me would be a more accurate description—if I was sure I had no idea where he was. I played dumb, and said that maybe he was dead by now, or something.

This seemed to make the Controllers happier. But then I realized that even if the Yeerk had starved, Tom would go free. And that meant they needed to be on the lookout.

I discussed the problem the following weekend.

"So," I finished, "the Yeerks are still suspicious of Tom's sudden disappearance, and while they won't be able to find him, it means more trouble for us. His friends have been after my parents and me a few times this week, asking if there was any news."

"He's safe, though, isn't he?" Cassie demanded.

"Yes, but it's only a matter of time before someone lets something slip," I admitted. "I don't know how Tom's Yeerk lived with me for nearly two years and didn't realize something suspicious was going on, but I honestly don't think the others are that stupid. A missing Yeerk and a missing host seems pretty suspicious."

"We can't kill him," Cassie stated, "but it seems like we'll need to do something. Maybe get him in contact with the Peace Movement?"

"How?"

"Illim would know someone. I'll talk to him about it."

I nodded. That seemed to be our best solution.

Tom must have noticed that something was wrong, because that was the first thing he said.

"Midget, are you okay? What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it."

"When you seem _this_ upset, I think I should." He paused. "What if I morph Yeerk?"

"Can you?" I asked, bewildered.

"I acquired the dead one after you gave me the morphing powers. Wasn't sure if it would work or not, so I didn't say anything. Yesterday, I tried morphing it. It was really disgusting, but it worked."

"Great," I muttered, "so now you can invade my privacy like I've been invading yours."

Tom frowned. "Midget, you know that's not what I meant." His voice was calm, controlled. "And I would never search your memories without your permission."

"They're pretty much everywhere," I sighed.

"I still think it would be a good idea," he pressed.

"I'm just not sure if it's a good idea for you to know about this."

"If it's making you this miserable, I think I should know."

"Fine, go ahead. I don't care."

As I watched the changes begin, it occurred to me how easy it would be to just step on Tom when he was in Yeerk form. All of our problems would be solved. There wouldn't be any more risks.

Except…then everything would have been pointless. And I loved him. I didn't want my own brother to die.

I took a deep breath, and looked at the slug that was currently plopped on the grass. I picked it up, carefully, and stared at it. I sighed, and put Tom up to my ear. He began to crawl in.

I had been a Controller once before, but had never experienced the sensation of a Yeerk actually crawling into my ear. Connecting to my brain. Making me lose control, little by little.

I knew it was automatic. Knew that Tom would let go once he was fully connected, and that he wasn't Temrash or Visser 3.

It still freaked me out.

Once Tom connected, he was too much in awe of the senses (especially site) to be too aware of me. I could hear him murmuring, "This is awesome," as he moved my feet, or opened my eyes.

_Tom,_ I finally spoke after a few minutes. _Tom!_

My voice pulled him out of his reverie.

_Sorry, Midget_, he replied sheepishly. _I guess I lost control._

_Looks like you had it down pretty well to me,_ I grumbled.

_I heard that._

_I figured._

_You're not being very cooperative, you know,_ Tom sighed.

I fixed him a mental glare. _Could you _please _let me have control over my _own_ body?_ I snapped. _I'm never this bad when I'm in you._

_Hey, Midget, calm down,_ he soothed, loosening himself around my brain. _It's okay. Relax. There, you're in charge, now. Happy?_

I didn't answer him…or rather, I made a few snide remarks to myself which Tom heard, but I didn't direct them towards him.

_You know, you're not being a very good host,_ Tom observed. Then laughed, trying to lighten the mood. _Get it? Host?_

_Very funny, Marco,_ I grumbled.

He sighed and made me take a few deep breaths. Normally, that would have had a calming effect, but I was too angry that Tom was making me do so to notice if it helped.

He must have seen what a bad mood I was in, because Tom stopped the jokes. He was silent for a minute, then spoke up.

_What's wrong?_ He wondered. The thought echoed through my mind. _Jake, you can trust me._

_I don't know,_ I grumbled. _This isn't exactly easy for me. I guess it's because I was a Controller before, once. Or maybe because it's just hard at first._

Tom saw the images as I "voiced" my thoughts. He seemed horrified.

_You…what!_

I sighed, suddenly very tired. Tom started to make me walk, to move me to his bed, and I didn't object.

_Almost two years ago. Your old Yeerk. We were on the hospital mission and I fell into the pool. My friends starved him out of me._

_I would have never guessed. But how…_

_Ax posed as me for a few days. Your Yeerk told me I was talking weird and eating everything in site._

Tom frowned, and then shrugged. _I don't remember. I'm never that aware of what goes on. Usually, I'm hiding in the corner of my mind, trying to avoid the Yeerk's torture. It always comes, though._

I had seem images of the Yeerk's methods for torturing. I didn't want to think about it just then.

_And the phone call?_ I pressed.

_Yeah, I got it. Wasn't sure if it was for him or not, but I tried to make myself think it was for me. That someone didn't want me… defeated. _He paused, and looked through my thoughts. _That was _you_, Midget?_

_Yeah. Partly in wolf morph. You know, to disguise my voice._

_That was very dangerous,_ he admonished. _If Innis had suspected it was you…_

_How could he? The wolf morph changed my voice so that it was barely recognizable. Besides…_ I trailed off, knowing he could hear the rest of my thoughts.

While he made no reply, I could tell that Tom did not approve. I tried to sigh, then realized I couldn't.

This did not improve my mood.

By now, we had reached Tom's part of the valley. It was pretty nice. I had bought a tent for him in case it rained, and it was next to the (messy) bed (old mattress that I found at a flea market with several blankets piled on top). There were a few posters hanging on the trees. There was a flashlight near his bed, and a few books to the side of it.

_We're here. Now, rest,_ he urged.

Before I could form a reply, Tom made me lie down and tucked the covers around me. Had I not been so aggravated at the whole situation, I might have laughed. It was sweet in a way, really.

_You're enjoying this way too much_, I grumbled, trying to get up but unable to. _Tom, quit it!_

_I'm trying to make sure you're comfortable,_ he explained, tucking in the blankets again.

I didn't want a nap.

_I'll give you comfortable, _I muttered.

_Watch it._

_Ow!_ I whined as he caused me to bite my tongue. _What was that for?_ _You know I can't control my thoughts,_ I pointed out wearily.

_Okay, okay. Point taken. Sorry,_ he admitted, somewhat sheepish.

_I tried to sit up again, but couldn't. Would you knock it off!_ I shouted.

I wanted to cry. My own brother thought that this was amusing. And here I was, powerless.

I tried to tell myself that he was just teasing. He wouldn't ever really hurt me. He was doing what he thought would be helpful.

It didn't work.

I heard his voice, gentle this time. _Jake. Calm down._

He released control. I glared at him. Or, to be more accurate, I made a face while thinking negative thoughts about people who became Yeerks and invaded others' privacy. If I hadn't been so freaked out (and depressed) by everything, I would have probably found the situation funny.

_Now, what happened?_ he asked, as though talking to a frightened child.

_Just look through my memories,_ I grumbled.

Very gently, he looked through my memories until he saw the events of the past week. He played them, and then when he was done, he sighed.

_Jake, it's not as bad as you think. Or impossible,_ he soothed.

_Just find a Yeerk from the Peace Movement and then have you return? Make them think you ran away and Illim, or someone else, found you?_ I scoffed.

_Jake, they're not going to press for details. Especially after I return, reinfested. Look, I have an idea…_

I pulled the covers over me as he explained the plan. When he was done, I spoke.

_I guess it could work. But I still don't like it._

_If things are as bad as you say, Midget, we don't exactly have a choice._

_I realize that._

_Okay. I'll get out of your head now. I should probably demorph soon, anyway. But Jake?_

_Yeah?_

_Get some sleep. You're exhausted._

_Finally, you've said something sensible,_ I muttered, closing my eyes.

A few minutes later, I felt something kick me on the legs.

"Hey!"

"Serves you right," he replied, smiling.

Then he hugged me.


End file.
